Oil-burning furnace



C. l. HOAG March 29, 1927.

OIL BURNING FURNACE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 18; 1924 Elv s March 29. 1927. 1,622,828 C. I. HOAG OIL BURNI NG FURNACE Filed April 18, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheetz of the firebox.

Patented Mar. 29, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES I. HOAG, OF OAK LPARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD OIL FRICTION BURNER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

OIL-BURNING FURNACE.

Application filed April 18, 1924. Serial No. 707,360.

The invention relates to furnaces adapted for the consumption of oil, and its object is to provide improved means for producing superheated steam and mixing it with the air in transit to the burner.

The invention consists of the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more par ticularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a furnace embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the burner, a part of the manifold being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of 2. Fig. 4 is a plan of the base of the burner. Fig. 5 is a detail section of the spray-nozzle for the steam. Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig. 3.

The invention is exemplified in a furnace comprising suitable walls 5, a fire-box 6, a pit 7 under the tire-box, a door 8 to provide access to the fire-box, a refractory bed 9 of suitable material forming the bottom The oil burner is located in the fire-box and comprises a base in the bed 9 and provided with a rim 11 and a concave bottom 12, an air-manifold 13, having legs 14 at its ends communicating through openings 15 in bottom 12 with the pit 7, from which air is taken for combustion, and a central downwardly opening leg 16 for delivering air onto an annular-1y grooved burner or distributer plate 17 which is suitably secured on the bottom 12. A pipe 18 delivers fuel-oil, usually by gravity, from a supply tank to the central raised portion 19 of the burner plate 17, from which it flows down the annularly grooved portion of the burner plate 17. The manifold is heated by the flames of the burning oil, so that air will be heated in transit to the burner plate to promote combustion.

In practice, it has been found that the addition of moisture to the air passing through the manifold to the burner-plate will promote combustion and effect a saving of fuel and that superheated steam is efficient for this purpose. For this purpose, a vertical cylindrical chamber 20 is suitably supported in the fire-box, so that the water therein will be heated by the fire from the burner. A pipe 21 leads from the cap 22 which forms a closed top for the chamber 20 to a spray nozzle 23 which is provided with a fine port 25 to discharge the .vapor or steam from the chamber 20 into the inlet of a sinuous duct 41 which is formed by means integral with the top of the manifold and has an outlet 42 to direct the fluid downwardly across the path of the air passing into the discharge leg 16 of the manifold. Outlet 42 is provided with a nipple 46 on which is secured a cap or nozzle 47. The nozzle 47 is provided with inclined ports so that the superheated steam which is produced in the sinuous duct 41 will be spread across the path of air entering the outlet leg 16 and diffuse accordingly. Pipe 21 terminates in a suitable coupling 44 which contains the nozzle 23 so that it will discharge the vapor from chamber 20 into the inlet 40 of the sinuous passage 41. The vapor, in transit through the sinuous passage 41, will be superheated and be discharged through duct 42, and mixed with the incoming air, the mixture will increase the combustion of the fuel and in a great measure eliminate the formation of carbon on and. around the burner.

A water-tank 27 is suitably sustained outside of the furnace and is adapted to keep the chamber 20 automatically filled to a predetermined level. lVater is supplied to the tank 27 by a pipe 26 connected to the supply main under control of a valve 29. A pipe 30, connected by pipe 28, is adapted to conduct water from the tank 27 into the heating chamber 20. This pipe may, if desired, be provided with a check-valve 31 to prevent back-flow of the water and with a safety valve 32 so that in case the ports in the nozzle 23 or 47 should become obstructed, the pressure in the chamber 20 would have an outlet. The tank 27 is open to atmosphere. A float 33, connected to an arm 34, which is pivoted as at 35, is operated by a column of water in the tank 27 and is connected by a link 36 to an arm 37 on the plug of valve 29.. This float thus automatically retains a suffi cient column of water in the tank 27 to cause the column of water in the chamber 20 to be maintained for the production of the desired volume of steam or vapor.

In operation, the flames from the burning oil on the burner plate 17 Will heat the water in the chamber 20 to vaporize it sufliciently to cause it to flow to nozzle 23. Thence, it will pass through duct 41 and be heated sufficiently to form superheated steam which the manifold and to the burner-plate. Chain-V ber 20 is located in the fire-box and the tank 27 is located outside of the furnace and open to atmosphere and causes the water-column in chamber 20 to be maintained by gravity and to supply duct 41 with vapor to be superheated.

The invention provides an oil-burning furnace in which simple means is provided for delivering superheated steam to the air in the manifold, the superheating being effected by heat from the burner.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the ap pended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a furnace, the combination of a firebox, an oil burner comprising a burner plate, and a manifold for delivering air to the plate and which is heated by the combustion of oil on said plate, means for delivering oil to said plate, a water-chamber in the firebox and heated by the burner, means integral with said manifold and forming a sinuous duct, said duct being connected at one end to discharge into the air passing through the manifold and at the other end to the waterchamber to receive vapor therefrom, said duct being heated by the burner and adapted to supcrheat the vapor passing therethrough, and means for maintaining a cblumn of water in the water-chamber.

2. In a furnace, the combination of a firebox, an oil-burner comprising a burner-plate and a manifold which is heated by the combustion of oil on said plate and for delivering air to said plate, means for delivering oil to said plate, a water-chan'iber in the firebox and heated by the burner, a sinuous duct in the manifold, connected to discharge into the air passing through the manifold, a connection between said duct and the waterchamber for delivering vapor to said duct, and means for maintaining a column of water in the water-chamber.

3. In a furnace, the con'ibination with a fire-box, an oil burner comprising a burner plate, and a manifold for delivering air to said plate and which is heated by the comhustion of oil on said plate, means for delivering oil to the plate, a water-chamber in the fire-box and heated by the burner, means in 1e manifold forming a sinuous duct, said duct being connected to discharge into the air passing through the manifold, a connection from the water-chamber to deliver vapor to the duct comprising a nozzle at the inlet to the duct, said duct being heated by the burner and adapted to superheat the vapor passing therethrough, and means to main tain a column of water in the water-chamber.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 10th day of April, 1924-.

. CHARLES I. IIOAG. 

